


Ribs

by oddishly



Series: seasons [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-21 01:26:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14273943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oddishly/pseuds/oddishly
Summary: Merlin counts.





	Ribs

Merlin bends over Arthur's bed and says, "Relax, sire. If Gaius was here, he'd be doing the same."

"Get on with it, then," Arthur says through his teeth, and falls back into the mattress.

Merlin takes a breath, long and deep, to steady himself. "I mean, I'm almost sure this is what he'd be doing. Who knows, really?" He flattens his palms and counts his way up Arthur's ribs and over the bandages he just wrapped, up and over and down again, just to check: one, two, five, seven, ten, twelve.

"Is there anything you _are_ sure of, Merlin?"

"I'm sure you've got all the parts of you I thought were supposed to be there," says Merlin firmly, and does up the button at the top of Arthur's shirt because his hand is still there and he might as well do something useful with it. He only fixed that button on again last night. Then Arthur went out to save the kingdom from something unreasonably large and with entirely far too many legs. "You'll fight another day."

"Glad to hear it." Arthur attempts to arch and quickly aborts. "Ow."

"You're being stupid," says Merlin, something building in his abdomen and sharpening as it rises to his chest. His mouth curves as he looks down on Arthur. "As usual."

"Good thing I don't listen to you, or I'd have to hang you just for that." Arthur's eyes are closed, a sheen of sweat on his forehead. Merlin's fingers twitch towards him. The creature had a lot of sharp claws on its too many legs. "Haven't you got something for the pain? Not to put too fine a point on it, Merlin--and do _not_ tell my father--or Lady Morgana--but it feels like I'm splitting in two."

Merlin isn't entirely clear just yet on what Gaius does approve of where magic is concerned, but Gaius isn't around at the moment to ask and anyway, Merlin is pretty sure that he could get some sort of absolution from the dragon if he really needed it. Not that Merlin is trying to bend the rules. It's just helpful to get some different perspectives on things.

"Of course, my lord," Merlin murmurs, and turns on his heel to whisper something healer-y over the tincture he's already prepared for Arthur. Well, the tincture he's taken from Gaius's top shelf and crossed his fingers over. He turns back and perches on the edge of the bed, slipping his hand under Arthur's head to support it, fingers sliding into his hair. "This should help you sleep, at least."

Arthur catches his eye as he drinks, holding himself still to protect his ribs. It's rather unnerving; Merlin is already far more used to seeing Arthur ready himself for a tournament to win the pride of Camelot, or to fight bandits in the outerlands, than lying in the grey and particular light of his chambers.

He watches the liquid level off and slows the angle of the bottle so its contents don't tip and overflow across Arthur's slack mouth. "Better?"

Arthur grunts and slips back into his pillows. Merlin isn't sure what he's supposed to do at this point; Arthur is spread far across the bed, arms strewn wide and head angled back, the heavy down quilt pushed down to his waist to spare the weight on what Merlin thinks must feel like a raging fire in his chest. He turns away, ignoring everything he feels inside his own.

"Have to say I'm not enjoying this," mumbles Arthur, the sleep potion quickly doing what it's supposed to. "Wouldn't recommend a broken rib. Hurts quite a bit, actually."

Merlin tries a cupboard he hasn't looked in before and finds a pile of blankets, then drags one of them across the floor to drop beside Arthur's bed. "I've decided to stay here tonight. If you wake me up I'll be very upset. So no tossing and turning."

"I almost never listen to you, Merlin," says Arthur, and falls asleep while Merlin is finding a way to respond.


End file.
